Expanding tool for filters



Nov. 2, 1965 C. J. BAUDER EXPANDING TOOL FOR FILTERS Filed May 29. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.7

FIG 6 s2 70 FIG.5

s 72 56 K n 60 08 62 8 I00 INVENTOR. CARL J BAUDER ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1965 Filed May 29. 1961 C. J. BAUDER EXPANDING TOOL FOR FILTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-4 INVENTOR. CARL J BAUDER ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1965 c. J. BAUDER EXPANDING TOOL FOR FILTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 29, 1961 FISH INVENTOR. CARL'J- BAUDER w ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,215,403 EXPANDING TOOL FOR FILTERS Carl J. Bauder, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Cambridge Filter Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,421 4 Claims. (Cl. 254--51) This invention relates to filters and more particularly to an expanding tool for expanding a folded pleated filter cartridge to its full size to facilitate its placement upon a supporting grid.

In Patent No. 2,907,408 granted Oct. 6, 1959, there is shown a filter having a permanent wire grid in conjunction with a supporting frame for supporting low cost replaceable filter cartridges, in which the filter medium is pleated to provide extended filter area. In such filters the replaceable cartridge with its pleats is shown as comprising a frame, having opposite rigid portions to which the opposite sinusoidal edges of the pleated filter medium are attached. The filter medium, with its pleats are thus properly spaced in a manner complemental to the spaced pleat supporting grids of the supporting frame, the pitch or spacing between adjacent pleat supporting grids corresponding to the spacing between pleats, as established by the opposite rigid cartridge frame portions to which the sinusoidal edges of the medium are affixed and sealed. Such a cartridge thus fits its corresponding frame, and is readily inserted upon the frame, during either initial installation or replacement.

In an application of Bauder et al. Serial No. 55,087, filed Sept. 9, 1960, there is disclosed a filter cartridge construction wherein the opposite end members of the surrounding frame to which the sinusoidal edges of the filter medium are attached are flexible foldable sheet material. Such filter cartridges, by reason of the flexible opposite end members, are capable of being folded for shipment or storage whereby their bulk is greatly reduced. Such a foldable cartridge is readily expanded to full size by drawing taut the flexible end members, whereby the pleats of filter medium are expanded and become spaced to permit the ready insertion of such a filter cartridge upon a supporting grid frame, having a complemental pleat supporting grid work, the pitch or spacing whereof corresponds to the pleat spacing or pitch of the cartridge when fully expanded. For installations requiring maximum filter medium area, the dimensions of the filter cartridge may be approximately 24" by 24" when expanded, and the depth of the pleats may approach 24". Such a unit when expanded for installation is bulky and awkward to handle during installation upon the support grid structure. Further, during installation, it is preferable that the flexible ends of the cartridge frame to which the sinusoidal edges of the medium are secured, be drawn taut, in order that the pitchof the pleats will correspond to the pitch of the pleat supporting grids. This requires, in manual installation, that the cartridge be opened by pulling upon the opposite ends of the cartridge frame to which the ends of the pleated filter medium is attached to draw the flexible sides taut.

In order to facilitate the expanding of such cartridges from their folded state, the present invention is directed 3,215,493 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 ice to an expanding tool, which comprises a pair of pivoted toggle like arms, having extensions adapted to embrace the opposite ends of the filter unit in its folded state, whereby such ends may be expanded to the full spacing, resulting in the flexible ends being drawn taut. The invention further contemplates means for readily attaching the arm extension to the cartridge ends for exerting an expanding force, and means for manually handling the cartridge when expanded, through the expanding tool. The invention is further directed toward providing sufficient rigidity and lightness in the tool whereby cartridges may be quickly expanded to their proper length and thereafter inserted into position upon the supporting grid, and providing such a tool at low cost.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a filter cartridge as compacted or folded for shipping with the expanding tool applied;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the cartridge frame end of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a filter cartridge expanded to full width by the tool;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the cartridge and tool in the position shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the inboard anchor hook of one side arm extension:

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the outboard anchor hook of one side arm extension;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view through the staple or strap affixed to the cartridge for engagement with the hooks;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on t e line 88 of FIGURE 2 showing the side arm extension in the position of initial engagement with a folded cartridge;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 taken on the line 99 of FIGURE 4 showing the side arm extension and handle in cartridge expanded and insertion position;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hinge lock in locked position; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary expanded view of the ends of the arm and the lock spring,

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 there is shown a filter cartridge 20 in folded or compacted form having relatively square and rigid end members 22 and 24, and flexible top and bottom members 26 and 28 to which the opposite upper and lower sinuous side edges of a sheet of pleated filter media 29 are adhesively secured, the end edges of the media being secured to the end members 22 and 24. The pleat folds 40 extend from top to bottom, and in the folded compacted form, the plurality of pleats are relatively closed up and the thickness of the compacted cartridge depends on the multiple of the thicknesses of the filter media extending between alternate pleat folds.

The compacted cartridge of FIGURE 1 is adapted to be expanded to the relatively square shape shown in FIGURE 3, wherein the upper and lower flexible members 26 and 28 are drawn relatively taut, and the folds of the pleats, for example, 40 on the upstream side are spaced apart, as are the folds 42 along the downstream side. As expanded to the form shown in FIGURE 3, the filter cartridge is adapted to be slid upon a supporting grid, all as shown and described in the copending Bauder et al. application referred to.

In expanding the filter to the form shown in FIGURE 3, considerable resistance is encountered in pulling the end members 24 and 22 apart to the requisite spacing wherein the upper and lower flexible members 26 and 28 are drawn taut. The unit must be expanded to the full extent, before the pitch of the pleats of filter medium will register with, and be readily capable of being slid upon and applied to the supporting grid.

In order to facilitate the expansion of the folded unit shown in FIGURE 1, to the full size as shown in FIGURE 3, necessary for applying the cartridge to its complementary grid, an expanding tool comprising arms 50 and 52, pivoted as at 54 is provided. Each of the arms 50 and 52 at their ends are provided with substantially parallel right and left hand arm extensions 56, and 58, adapted to flank the end members 22 and 24.

Each of the end members 22 and 24 are provided with wire strap members 60 and 62, which may be in the form of heavy packing staples, the ends 64 of which pierce the end members 22 and 24, and are bent over as at 66 to provide a secure anchorage.

Each of the arm extensions 56 and 58 are angle sectioned members, and alike, except one is right hand and the other left hand, and each are provided with pivoted hook members 68 and 70, suitably spaced to engage the strap members 60 and 62. The inboard hook member 68 is provided with pivot ears 72, pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 74 disposed in the inside corner of the angle section of the arm extension 56, the arm extension being provided with a cut out or window 76 through which the pivot ears extend. The outboard hook member 70 is pivoted on the projecting end of a pivot pin 78, the other end of which is secured in the inside angle of the end 80 of the angle section of the extension arm 56. Each hook 68 and 70 is located on its respective shaft 74 and 78 by ears 11 formed on the shafts and each hook is provided with a tongue position 82, adapted to slide through the strap loops 60 and 62, and a hook ledge 84 adapted to engage the strap end when shifted, to the position shown in FIGURES and 6. Each hook also has an extension pad portion 86, so that the hooks, when brought into engagement with the folded cartridge ends 22 and 24, will pivot so as to lie flat against the cartridge end so as to facilitate the simultaneous projection of both hooks on each arm extension through the respective straps on the opposite ends 22 and 24 of the filter cartridge, whereby the cartridge ends are rendered in a supported position with respect to the spaced books of each arm, when the arm is moved inwardly slightly to the right to engage the hooks, the position thus taken being shown in FIG- URES 2, 4 or 5 and 6. When the spaced hooks 68 and 70 of each of the arm extensions are secured within the respective straps, of a cartridge folded as shown in FIG- URE 1, the pivoted arms 50 and 52 forming a knee effect may be moved to the position shown in FIGURE 3, resulting in expanding the cartridge to its full dimension as shown in FIGURE 3.

Suitable handles 100 in the form of bars bent to a U shape have their ends 102 secured within the bends 104 of a double bent bracket member 106, which is in turn secured to the angle section arm extension.

In order to secure the arms 50 and 52 in extended position, when the cartridge is expanded to full size, a spring lock may be provided as shown in FIGURES 10 and 11. Each of the arms 50 and 52 are of channel section as shown and are pivoted upon the heavy cross pin as at 54. The end of channel arm 50 is of sufficient length to bear against the web 112 of the channel of the arm to provide a slightly over center effect whereby the arms 50 and 52 are inclined slightly with respect to each other, as shown in FIGURE 3. To lock the arms in the position shown, arm 52 is provided with slots and the arm 50 is provided with open slots 122 to receive a resilient lock spring 124 which lock spring has a center loop atfixed to the inside of the channel web 112 on a pivot stud 126. The lock spring has reversed bent ends 128 and 130 to enable manipulation of the ends to the right, as shown in FIGURE 10, a suflicient distance to clear the open slots 122, and release the lock. When the tool is attached to a folded cartridge as in FIGURE 1, and the arms 50 and 52 straightened out to the over center position, the curved edges 132 of the flanges of the channel arm 50 cam the lock spring ends into the slots 120 until the slots 122 and 120 align whereupon locking is automatic. Thus an operator, after attaching the arm extensions to the cartridge ends 22 and 24, may flex the arms 50 and 52 to allow the lock to engage, and thereafter lift the cartridge, and guide it into position upon the supporting frame. Once the cartridge is at least partway positioned upon the frame, the tool may be moved to the left from the position shown in FIGURE 2, to release the hooks 68 and 70 from the loops 60, the tool removed, and the cartridge pushed into its seated position upon the supporting frame and plate supporting grids. The lock is then released, the arms 50 and 52 pivoted to the position shown in FIGURE 1, whereupon the tool may be used to expand a further cartridge.

It will be seen that in expanding a cartridge as described, the arms 50 and 52 act as a toggle so that as the arms approach alignment, a greater expanding force is available, fully capable of drawing the flexible ends 26 and 28 of the cartridge taut as desirable, before placing a cartridge upon the grid support. The cartridge is held square by abutments 152 and 154.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An expanding tool for expanding folded filter cartridges comprising a pair of arms having a pivotal connection therebetween at one end and having right angle rigid extensions at their respective other ends, said extension being parallel to each other and the pivotal axis of said connection, means for releasably connecting said extensions to the opposed ends of a folded filter cartridge and lifting handles on each of said extensions.

2. An expanding tool of expanding folded filter cartridges, comprising a pair of arms having a pivotal connection therebetween at one end and having right angle rigid extensions at their respective other ends, said extension being parallel to each other and the pivotal axis of said connection, means for releasably connecting said extensions to the opposed ends of a folded filter cartridge, lifting handles on each of said extensions; and means for releasably locking said arms in substantially aligned relation to each other.

3. An expanding tool for expanding filter cartridges, comprising a pair of channel sectioned arms, a pivot pin joining the adjacent ends of said arms together, angle section arm extension members rigidly afiixed at approximately right angles to the other ends of said arms, said extension members extending substantially with each other, and with the axis of said pivot pin, a pair of spaced hooks pivotally mounted on each of said arm extensions for releasably engaging the ends of a folded filted cartridge, and means associated with the pivot pin for releasably locking said arms when pivoted to substantially aligned relation.

4. An expanding tool for expanding filter cartridges comprising a pair of channel sectioned arms, a pivot pin joining the adjacent ends of said arms together, angle section arm extension members rigidly affixed at approximately right angles to the other ends of said arms, said extension members extending substantially parallel With each other, and with the axis of said pivot pin, a pair of spaced hooks pivotally mounted on each of said arms extensions for releasably engaging the ends of a folded filter cartridge, and means associated with the pivot pin for releasably locking said arms when pivoted to substantial- 1y aligned relation anda lifting handle on each of said arm extensions disposed intermediate the spaced hooks thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Examiner. 

1. AN EXPANDING TOOL FOR EXPANDING FOLDED FILTLER CARTRIDGES COMPRISING A PAIR OF ARMS HAVING A PIVOTAL CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN AT ONE END AND HAVING RIGHT ANGLE RIGID EXTENSIONS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE OTHER ENDS, SAID EXTENSION BEING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID CONNECTION, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID 